Dyna Mitte, the mother of Breaking Bad actor RJ Mitte, has spoken publicly about the morning she found her son dead at his home in Brownsville, Texas. In an interview with NBC News, cited by E! Online, Just Jared, Extra and Today, she said she called him at 11 a.m., got no answer, and drove over with lunch. That is when she discovered him.
What his mother said
His mother’s account, given to NBC News, is the most detailed description yet of how the day unfolded.
“So I called him at 11. He didn’t answer, so I picked up lunch and went to take it to him, and that’s when I discovered him,” Dyna Mitte told NBC News, as reported by E! Online, Just Jared, Extra and Today.
She said she believes her son’s death was a “spur of the moment” decision, because he left no note, according to Just Jared, Extra and Today.
Dyna Mitte also said she had spent months trying to get him into therapy. “For the last three months, I’d been offering for him to go to therapy, trying to get him to go there, but he was like, ‘No, I’ve got it. It’s OK. I’m handling it,'” she told NBC News, per Just Jared and Extra.
“I would have given my life for his life,” she said, according to E! Online and Extra.
She explained why she chose to talk about it at all. “If me speaking out today might save someone else from going through the same situation, because a mother should never have to find their child this way,” she told NBC News, as cited by Extra and E! Online.
The memorial service
His younger sister, Lacianne Carriere, described how much of her own life was shaped by him. “Every type of music I listen to, everything I watch, every game I play, our mannerisms, and I just really miss my brother,” she said, per TMZ.
The memorial fell on the same day Mitte’s independent film One Eye Open was set to premiere in US cinemas. His final Instagram Story, posted hours before his death, had promoted the film.
How the news was confirmed
Mitte’s representative announced his death on October 12 in an official statement reported by Page Six, Deadline and Just Jared. “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte,” the statement read.
The following day, representative Sean Reilly confirmed the cause to NBC News, as reported by Today. “Sadly, we can confirm that suicide was the cause of death,” Reilly said.
At the time of initial reporting, the Brownsville Police Department had said the cause and manner of death were still pending an ongoing investigation, according to Just Jared. Deadline and People, via Just Jared, reported that a Cameron County Justice of the Peace declared Mitte dead at approximately 1:30 p.m. local time on October 12, with no signs of foul play, and that an autopsy was ordered.
His life and legacy
Born Roy Frank Mitte III on August 21, 1992, Mitte was best known for playing Walter “Flynn” White Jr. on AMC’s Breaking Bad, as Deadline noted. He lived with cerebral palsy and became one of the most visible disability rights advocates in Hollywood, a role his representative highlighted in the statement announcing his death.
Following the news, his Breaking Bad co-stars Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn and Aaron Paul publicly paid tribute to him.
Mitte had been engaged to Kennedy Suarez since October 10, 2025.
His mother’s decision to describe the hardest moment of her life, in her own words, was made with a clear purpose. She said she hopes that by speaking out, another family might be spared. Her message, and her daughter’s words at the memorial, offer a picture of a man who was deeply loved by the people closest to him.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. In the US, you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
